This invention relates to clamps.
The invention is more particularly concerned with clamps for cables, wires, hoses, ropes or the like.
Clamps are often used with bundles of cables, to keep them together or to help support the cables. Clamps are also used to lock onto cables where they extend in a housing, so that strain exerted on the cable is taken by the clamp and the housing rather than being transferred to an interconnection within the housing. The clamps can take various different forms. In one form, the clamp comprises a flexible strap with teeth along its length and having a ratchet integral with one end of the strap. The strap is wrapped around the cable or cables and the free end of the strap is threaded through the ratchet so that it can be tightened about the cable. It can be difficult to tighten this form of clamp because of the need to hold both the ratchet and the free end of the strap. Other forms of clamp are sold by Heyco Moulded Products, Inc of Kenilworth, N.J., USA under the trade marks xe2x80x9cHose Matesxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cStrap Matesxe2x80x9d. These are moulded in a generally circular shape and have engaging ratchet teeth that can be tightened by gripping between the nose of pliers. One disadvantage with this form of clamp is that any clamp can only be used with a relatively limited range of size of cables.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative clamp.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a clamp for fastening about an elongate member the clamp comprising first and second yokes that can be urged together about opposite sides of the elongate member, two generally parallel ratchet bars extending between the yokes, and cooperating ratchet teeth so that as the two yokes are moved together in one direction the two ratchet bars move over the ratchet teeth to restrain the yokes against separation in an opposite direction.
Each yoke is preferably formed integrally at one end with a respective ratchet bar and at its other end with ratchet teeth arranged to cooperate with the other ratchet bar. Each yoke and its respective ratchet bar is preferably identical with the other. The ratchet teeth are preferably provided on a surface between two arms of the yoke extending laterally of the clamp. The yokes and ratchet bars may be arranged such that they can be assembled or disassembled by relative movement laterally of the one direction. Each yoke preferably has an arched section for receiving the elongate member. Alternatively, one yoke may be provided with both ratchet bars, the other yoke being provided with two sets of cooperating ratchet teeth. The ratchet bars preferably have ratchet teeth on two opposite surfaces. The yokes and ratchet bars may be moulded from a plastics material. The clamp may be for clamping about one or more cables, the yokes being formed integral with cooperating housing parts of a connector.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a clamp including first and second clamping members, first and second unidirectional sliders extending parallel to one another at right angles to the clamping members, and first and second locations on the clamping members arranged to receive respective ones of the sliders in unidirectional engagement, the clamping members and sliders therebetween defining an aperture for receiving a member to be clamped.